Spring Water Nightmare

I love Spring Water Trail.

Its one of the things that I will miss about Portland when we move next year.

The SP Trail is an amazing 40 mile loop, with over 21 miles of paved trail taking you all the way

from Gresham right up to Waterfront and beyond in downtown Portland.

Today SP was not my friend.

Here's my story.

Convince Husband and son to join me, and stroll the Gresham Saturday market while I run in the surprisingly sunny weather, a little too sunny-but beautiful none the less.

Drop off water 7 miles up the trail.

Goal run: 14 miles.

(I really wish I was one of those people who cld run with adorable mini water

bottles strapped to my waist-maybe someday.

I think the friction wld drive me insane, running w.

a garmin was bad enough to get used to).

Drive back to the Main Street Park, start a mini panic attack realizing

a. its allready 12:30 and I barely ate any breakfast

b. Its much hotter than I anticipated, and no sun block was worn

c. 14 is far

I know that fear is such a run killer- so I try to block out negativity and dwell on happy thoughts.

(like my new awesome club mix downloaded on my ipod waiting for me to jam out)

Start running. Feeling Good. Mile 4. Trail Closed. For paving. WTFreak? Follow detour through cute neighborhoods, up to busy Powell Blvd. I hate running w. exhaust.

Run in the bike lane until mile 6.75. Follow the detour signs back to Trail.

Big Problem. The Garmin reads 7.5 and I am a 1/2 mile away from my water stash.

Not ideal.

Option: 1. go w. out water for 15 miles. Umm i think not

Option 2: Continue on another 1/2 mile, then loop back turning my grand total into....

16 miles not 14.

Crap.

Option 2 was the only option.

Find Stash.

Water + Snack Bar=Awesome. Loop back.

At the Detour sign I see a nice man coming from behind the orange cones on his bike.

I think hmm...now there is a rule breaker, if he did it-then I can to darn it.

ME: "Hey is that trail runnable?"

Bike MAN: "Umm yeah, except for a tiny portion, its fine."

ME: Great, and I to dip under the orange caution tape and warning signs and take off.

Two miles click away, I pass other rule breakers and feel happy for my choice.

Not for long.

Around mile 12 I come to a break in the trail w. a through street.

My first hint sld have been the city wrk truck I saw parked there, and the fact that even the other rule breakers were veering off of the trail at this point.

I didn't get the hint.

On I went for at least a mile.

Then the trail got narrow.

No shoulder just thick prickly blackberry bushes lining semi fresh pavement.

And that's when I SAW IT.

A mini paving truck taking up the whole trail in front of me, w. a worker man looking at me like "Who is this idiot on the trail?"

I did the only logical thing I could think of, started clawing my way up the blackberry bushes.

A few bloody scratches later I made it to a ridge.

Hiking along, not running, annoyed, feeling stupid-

I scaled the ridge for .5 miles until finding a trail back down to SP. The pavement wasn't nearly as fresh at this point, but my shoes stuck a tiny bit.

I hit mile 14, still 2 miles from my car, and luckily found a public water fountain on the trail.

Blessing from above, I cld not have made it w. out it.

I was super happy at this point to have left the wet pavement
+blackberry bush climbing behind.

Mile 15.5, I can't believe I am running 26.2 in a month!

Made it back a little beat up and weary from my travels-

hips feeling over used and feet a little beat. BUT considering all of the obstacles I endured. PRETTY DARN GOOD.

16 miles, check and check. Done and Done. Ice bath, sort of.

Agreeing next time to listen to warning signs, most likely. :)

Unless another rule breaker leads me astray.

Happy Trails.

PS. I still love you Spring Water.

4 mile Labor Day

Today I am starting to feel a tiny bit of panic for my low milage.

Dang Ankle and its referral pain have set me back, but I am still going.

In reviewing other 10.10.10 training blogs I am reminded that my original training plan would have had my long runs near 20 miles right now. I just did my longest run since my 1/2 marathon in the spring, only 10 miles.

What does this all mean: INJURIES STINK. And there is no rushing recovery.

So since my left side is improving daily (minus that dang piriformis muscle) I upped my milage on my training. Instead of a 12 this Saturday I am going for a 14, then the next Sat. a 18 then a 20. Followed by a recovery 10 miler SAt. Then the race. SO SOON!

I know it will be tough, but I can do it, I feel that I must do it or pay the consequences on race day-which is my greatest fear.

As anyone who has ran a marathon knows, you would rather pay for it in training-

to avoid it on D-Day.

As for today's run- it was a fast pace 4 miles with my boys.

(I decreased today's milage in preparation for a longer run on Saturday).

I love Holiday's I get to run with my husband and our side kick Jack.

A great team indeed.

Happy Labor Day.

Purple Hands

I ran 10 miles this morning down a trail loaded with Wild Black berries.

At mile 6 I treated myself to several handfuls, and felt instantly hydrated.

Somewhere at this point my husband

and son were gorging themselves with a bounty

of blackberries as well- hence the reason they agree to go on my long runs in the Fall.

We had a great morning,

WITH purple hands to prove it.

AFTER mile 6 when I got tired of running, I started dreaming

of Blackberry pie, and telling myself I could have some, someday if I kept going. :)

It was an enjoyable vision.

A great run, with a surprising treat along the way.

And my ankle even held up just fine.

Oh Saturday you are always the best day.

2 extra

(A view of one of the many bridges in the city I reside)

2 Extra 4 good measure today.

2 Extra "fast" miles were just what I needed to start out a great Friday.

2 Day will be a GREAT DAY

2 MORROW will be even better, because 2morrow is my day off! :)

Chiropractic Appointment Today

I love that my husband is going to become a chiropractor for many reasons, but the number one reason (at least for today) is that I am able to get FREE care at his school clinic.
Which is conventionally 2 blocks from my little home.
Awesome!!!
Today my back and sore SI are feeling much better thanks to the amazing guys at University of Western States!http://www.wschiro.edu
Chiropractic services can make a huge difference in your training.

No IPOD???

Oh how I dislike speedwork. Bla! It is what I need though.
This mornings run brings to mind the quote

" If running were meant to be easy it wouldn't be hard right?"
8:30 am. 5 miles speedwork. CHECK.
The first day of September is here, which to me screams,
Goodbye blessed summer
Hello wonderful FALL :)

Recap of the days events thus far:

1) Alarm clock goes off 5:00 am. I beg my husband to not go early to school and let me run at 7 instead of 5:30. He bargins, then agrees. I fall back asleep proud of my extra ZZZZ's.

• 

2. Wake up get dressed, discover my IPOD is DEAD. UGH, consider taking the time to charge it, but the clock is ticking and time is wasting. I leave out the door nervous, because I don't remember the last time I ran more than one mile without my music.

3. Start running- Mile 3ish-"What is that noise- oh thats my breathing" it was honestly weird to hear my own breathing, and I didn't like it- the noise reminded me that I was tired. *note to self* Do not run without an IPOD ever again!!!

4. A Portland sunrise looked like this- this morning,:) Gray and gray, but it still felt AMAZING, to be up, to be running, and to be sticking to my goals. And the leaves weren't as colorful as this picture, but it was exciting to see a few red and oranges ones just starting to change. :)